Meaning & use
caparison
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Meanings
nouncountableliteraryold-fashioned
A richly decorated cloth or set of trappings laid over a horse, especially for a ceremony or parade.
Grammar: Countable, often plural in older writing: the horse's caparison, golden caparisons.
Patterns
- a horse's caparison
- caparison of something
The knight's horse wore a caparison embroidered with lions.
A scarlet caparison hung almost to the ground on either side of the horse.
The parade included horses in silk caparisons and polished harness.
nounusually pluralliteraryfigurative
Fine or showy clothing and equipment worn by a person; used humorously or poetically.
Grammar: Often plural in this use: the caparisons of power.
Patterns
- the caparisons of something
He abandoned the caparisons of office and went home in a plain coat.
The festival was full of colorful caparisons, from silk robes to feathered hats.
She enjoyed the caparisons of success but not the pressure.
verbtransitiveliterary
To dress a horse, or sometimes a person, in rich and decorative covering.
Grammar: Takes an object and is often passive: the horses were caparisoned in blue and gold.
Patterns
- caparison someone/something in something
- be caparisoned with something
The royal stable caparisoned the horses in crimson velvet.
The dancers were caparisoned in gold and feathers.
Elephants caparisoned in bright cloth led the procession.
Word forms
| plural | caparisons |
|---|---|
| third person singular | caparisons |
| past tense | caparisoned |
| past participle | caparisoned |
| -ing form | caparisoning |
Common combinations
- embroidered caparison
- An embroidered caparison covered the white horse.
- caparison of silk
- The war horse wore a caparison of silk and gold thread.
- richly caparisoned
- The richly caparisoned elephants led the procession.
- caparisoned in
- The riders were caparisoned in royal blue.
- ceremonial caparison
- The ceremonial caparison had been in the family for centuries.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trappings
- Trappings is broader and covers any outward signs of position, while caparison is mainly about decorated covers on horses.
- harness
- Harness means the working straps and gear of a horse, whereas caparison is the ornamental cloth over it.
- regalia
- Regalia refers to the symbols and robes of royalty or office, and it is not specific to horses.
- adorn
- Adorn is the general verb for decorating anything, while caparison suggests rich coverings, especially on animals.
Opposites
Word family
- caparisoned adjective
- dressed in rich decorative covering
Commonly confused: caparison or comparison?
caparison vs comparison
A comparison is the act of judging two things side by side. It only sounds similar to caparison and is unrelated.
Practice
The knight's horse was caparisoned in silk. What does that tell us about the horse?
Choose one answer.
To caparison is to dress a horse in rich covering, so silk caparisons mean decorative cloth. The sentence says nothing of speed, injury or training.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “caparison”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.